Robert Karsunky

Robert Karsunky has been CFO, Novartis Pharma since July 2013 and in addition CFO Novartis Innovative Medicines as of June 2016. He is based at the Novartis global head office in Basel, Switzerland.

Robert joined Novartis Pharma from Alcon, where he had been CFO since November 2010. After the merger with Novartis in April 2011, Robert played a key role in leading Alcon from a publicly-traded company to become the second-largest division in Novartis, executing an effective integration plan and establishing a strong divisional finance, IT and procurement leadership team.

Robert first joined Novartis in 2006 as CFO for Novartis Consumer Health, with responsibility for OTC, Animal Health, CIBA Vision, Gerber and Medical Nutrition. Prior to Novartis, Robert served as Vice President of Finance, International, for Medtronic. He began his career with Eli Lilly, where he held a range of finance positions in Germany, the UK, Canada, and the US.

Robert studied business administration at the University of Cologne and New York University, and holds a doctorate in business administration from the University of Aachen in Germany.